Anuradha Beniwal was born in Meham, near Rohtak, in the Indian state of Haryana, into a middle-class Jat family. (Hindustan Times) Her father, Krishan Singh Beniwal, was a lecturer in political science. He disapproved of the constraints of standard schooling and believed in an unconventional upbringing. To that end, Anuradha was home-schooled for much of her early years. (Hindustan Times)
She showed early signs of fragility in health and physical strength, so her father sought a sport that did not require brute physical strength. Through a family friend, chess was introduced to her around age six; her father taught her, and her mother Saroj Bala also learned so she could help in her training. (Hindustan Times)
Chess Career Trajectory
-
Early Successes: By age seven, Anuradha had reached a landmark achievement: she was ranked number two among sub-juvenile (very young) players in India. (Hindustan Times)
-
A noteworthy incident: when she travelled to Patiala for an under-10 tournament, it turned out to be an under-18 event for girls; she nonetheless played and secured third place, marking her early competitive spirit. (The Times of India)
-
She went on to win several sub-junior and junior national tournaments and traveled within India and abroad for chess tournaments. During this time, she balanced rigorous practice (10 hours/day reportedly) with her studies. (Hindustan Times)
Academic Pursuits & Shift of Focus
Over time, Anuradha experienced pressure balancing chess and academics, especially after a significant loss in a national tournament induced stress. She decided to focus more on academics. (The Times of India)
Her formal academic qualifications include:
-
Bachelor’s degree in English Honours from Miranda House, Delhi University. (The Economic Times)
After her studies, she took up a job in Pune. It was during this period she met her future husband, Akhil Bansal. Eventually, she relocated to London, where she established herself as a chess coach. (Hindustan Times)
Writing, Travel & “Azadi Mera Brand”
-
Book: Anuradha’s debut book is titled Azadi Mera Brand (Freedom Is My Brand) published by Rajkamal Prakashan. It was launched at the New Delhi World Book Fair in January 2016. (Hindustan Times)
-
Theme: The book weaves her travel journey through 10 European countries (UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland) on a modest budget, her internal growth, her early chess career, and her ideas about freedom, identity, especially from a woman’s point of view. (The Economic Times)
-
Advocacy & Message: She has often spoken on women’s autonomy, safety of solo women travellers, breaking stereotypes, particularly in India, and showing how travel can be affordable, empowering, and life-changing for women from non-elite backgrounds. (The Economic Times)
Professional Coaching & Later Chess Life
While she stepped back from competitive chess professionally, she has kept chess as an integral part of her life:
-
In London, she works as a professional chess coach, often teaching young children (4-10 years age group) in reputed schools. (Hindustan Times)
-
She is also a chess master at several British clubs. (The Economic Times)
News & Controversies
While Anuradha has generally had a public posture of advocacy rather than controversy, several of her public statements and actions sparked debate and news coverage, especially during the Jat reservation stir in Haryana (2016).
-
Jat Reservation Agitation / Stir: During the protests and violence in Haryana, many from the Jat community were demanding reservation status. There was widespread property damage, violence and unrest. (The Times of India)
-
Video Message: Anuradha released a video addressed to her community (Jat community), urging them not to incite violence, burn schools, homes, or infrastructure, because ultimately they are destroying their own state and their own future. She emphasized that freedom, education, and inclusion matter more than aggression. (The Times of India)
-
Crowd-funding for Victims: Following her video, she launched a crowd-funding campaign from the UK to help victims of the stir — those who lost their homes, livelihoods. She aimed for a target of about £5,000 (≈ ₹4.7–5 lakh) to help rebuild and compensate. (The Indian Express)
-
“Burnt your own home” Statement: One of her most talked-about lines was telling agitators: “You have burnt your own home, your own land, your schools… in the name of protest.” This message resonated widely. (Hindustan Times)
These were not controversies in the sense of misconduct, but rather bold public expressions that received both praise and criticism, especially given caste, regional, and gender sensitivities in Indian society.
Personal Philosophy, Identity & Social Views
-
Anuradha often speaks of freedom as central to her identity — freedom of movement, of speech, of choice, especially for women. Her choice of the book’s title, Azadi Mera Brand, underscores this. (The Indian Express)
-
She hails from a society with traditional gender roles (Haryana) but has sought to live her life on her own terms: pursuing chess, travel, writing, living abroad. (Hindustan Times)
-
On caste: She maintains that in her early chess life, her coaches never asked her caste; she was trained based on merit. This background informs much of her critique during caste-based agitations as being destructive rather than constructive. (The Times of India)
Recent Status & Where She Is Now
As of the last reliable reports (circa mid-2010s):
-
She is based in London, working as a chess coach and master at British clubs. (The Economic Times)
-
She continues to write, speak, and travel. Her blogs, social media posts (in Hindi, Haryanvi, English) reflect social justice issues, women’s rights, freedom, identity. (Hindustan Times)
-
There is no record in available sources of her re-entering competitive chess as a player at international level recently. Her main public engagements are through coaching, writing and activism.
Criticism & Challenges
While she has been praised by many, some of the criticisms or challenges she has faced:
-
Criticism from within community: Calling for calm during the Jat agitation and criticizing the violence drew both support and backlash. Some felt her viewpoint challenged community expectations. (The Times of India)
-
Balancing identity and expression: As someone who speaks freely (about caste, gender, politics), she faces the tension common to public intellectuals: expectations from tradition, family, cultural norms, and pushing boundaries.
-
Career decision trade-offs: She stopped active professional competition relatively early, shifted to academics and then to coaching. Some may see this as a loss to Indian chess; others see it as her choosing a sustainable, self-directed path.
Impact & Legacy
-
She has become something of a role model for girls (especially from Haryana or similar backgrounds) who wish to break out of strictures of caste / gender / socio-economic constraint.
-
Her book has encouraged women in lower middle-class to travel, to write, to question stereotypes. (The Economic Times)
-
Her voice in times of social unrest (e.g. Jat agitation) was seen by many as courageous: using her platform to try to bring reason and empathy.
Top Interesting Facts about Anuradha Beniwal
-
Ranked No.2 at Age 7 – By age seven, she was the second top player nationally in her age category. (Hindustan Times)
-
Home-schooled by design – Much of her early schooling was at home, in order to allow greater flexibility for chess training and intellectual growth. (Hindustan Times)
-
Multidisciplinary Scholar – Degrees include English Honours, Masters in English Literature, and Law. (The Economic Times)
-
Writer & Traveller – Her debut book Azadi Mera Brand spans her travel across Europe on a tight budget, exploring themes of identity, freedom, female agency. (The Economic Times)
-
Socially Vocal – She has publicly spoken against caste-based violence, against destroying one's own community property, and has used social media and crowd-funding to further social causes. (The Times of India)
-
Chess Coach in London – Though she moved away from competitive chess, she remains deeply involved as a coach for young children and as a master at clubs in the UK. (Hindustan Times)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Is Anuradha Beniwal still playing chess competitively?
A: Not in a high-profile international competitive sense as per available reports. Her focus since mid-2010s has shifted towards coaching, writing, travel, and activism.
Q2. What is Azadi Mera Brand about?
A: It is her debut book in Hindi, combining travel narrative (across 10 European countries), reflections on freedom, identity, women’s empowerment, her early chess journey, and critiques of social norms.
Q3. What was her stance during the Jat reservation agitation?
A: She condemned violence, particularly burning one’s own schools, homes, and infrastructure in the name of protest. She called for peaceful dialogue, requested community to consider long-term harm, and arranged relief for victims.
Q4. What are her academic qualifications?
A: She holds an English Honours degree, a Master’s in English Literature, and a law degree.
Q5. Where is she based now and what does she do?
A: She lives in London. She works as a chess coach (especially for children), mentors young players, is a club master, and is active as a writer and public speaker.
Q6. What makes Anuradha’s story inspiring?
A: Several things—her rise from a small town, balancing academics and chess, breaking social norms around gender and caste, her courage to speak out, and her choice to define “freedom” on her own terms.
Comments
Post a Comment